Landscape’s color wheel
Artist’s infinite choices—
Every brilliant shade
Quiet morning breeze
Punctuated with raindrops—
Perfectly designed
Empty canvas waits
Sketch’s anticipation—
Inspiration blooms
Gentle morning rain
Afternoon transition
Cold front moving in
Winter’s new edition
Season’s first snowflake
Forecast’s memo on track
Innocent at first
More join in, welcome back
Chorus of voices
Barren landscape, now white
Autumn forgotten
Nature’s fresh acolyte
Darkness shines at night
Moonlight’s bright reflection
Each snowflake twinkles
With timely perfection
Peace shrouds silent realm
Time wanting to stand still
Another postcard
Sketches winter’s playbill
Warmest beginnings
Sunrise’s gift of welcome—
Youthful innocence
Horizon’s shadows
Sunset offers gratitude—
Joyful innocence
Landscape now resting
Under serenity’s quilt—
Nightly innocence
Positive outlook
Autumn’s gift of timely peace—
Every falling leaf
Autumn’s final days
Cascading colors of leaves—
Playing its swan song
Fragile leaf dropping
Barren forest standing still—
Autumn says, “So long”
Central Ohio provides opportunities to visit numerous nature parks in Franklin County and the city of Columbus. Located near the community of Groveport, Walnut Woods Metro Park offers a wonderful destination for hikers, photographers, bicyclists, and dog enthusiasts.
Much of Walnut Woods is contained within a former tree nursery and sod farm. Consisting of 1,458 acres, one finds a variety of nature’s treasures: woodlands, wetlands, and vernal ponds. All-weather pathways allow easy access even when rainfall or snow interrupts.
The hiking trails are rated “easy” without any major hills to travel through. Both dogs and bicycles are welcome to travel the park, which is bordered on the north side by Walnut Creek. The park’s interior is bisected by a smaller creek, the Big Run.
Four major trails are found within the park’s vast boundaries. The Buckeye Area follows one of the longest trails at 2 miles. Much of its trail runs alongside Walnut Creek. Rows of former nursery trees, including crab apple and red maples, offer an ever-changing landscape.
The Tall Pines Area is connected to the Buckeye Area by the Monarch Trail, which runs 1.4 miles. The Tall Pines Area features the meandering Sweetgum Trail, which totals 2.6 miles.
If a hiker wishes to walk a natural trail, the Kestrel Trail provides 1.3 miles of grass, gravel, and dirt. This location offers passage through a pair of ponds as well as a visible Osprey nest.
Two dog parks are located in the Buckeye Area. One is designed for larger dogs while the other is suited for smaller ones. Both areas are equipped with nearby well-maintained restrooms and picnic areas.
Sitting home, isolated and alone
Taking virtual trips, changes life’s tone
America’s landscapes invite us in
Scenic mountain vistas, adventures grin
Alaska Range, home to our northernmost peaks
Denali “the tall one” forever speaks
Cascade Range roams the Pacific Northwest
Snow-capped volcanoes offer stunning quests
Sierra Nevada’s enchanted land
Host national parks, majestic and grand
Rocky Mountains form this nation’s backbone
Stunning beauty, more precious than gemstones
Sawtooth Mountains salute from Idaho
Endless summits bring skiers to the snow
Bighorn Mountains, sacred to native ways
Montana-Wyoming border sings praise
Adirondack Mountains, New York’s playground
Winter skiing, fall foliage—best around
Great Smoky Mountains push for Tennessee
Fog-covered peaks, spellbinding all agree
Blue Ridge Mountains welcome us back home
Free-flowing Shenandoah smiles and roams
Wherever you live or where your travels take you, you may have a favorite mountain paradise. One of my precious favorites is the Beartooth Mountains in south-central Montana, a stone’s throw away from Yellowstone National Park.
You are invited to share one of your special places in the comments.
Originally published July, 2020.
Morning’s quiet retreat
Offering sunrise view
Taking splendor’s front seat
Sky sketched with clearest blue
Sanctuary of peace
Spirit’s closeness abounds
Renewal of life’s lease
Stillness felt all around
Harmony’s joyful tune
Brightening this new day
Filling every full moon
Mountain’s peak never gray
River’s gathering dreams
Shaped within ancient hands
Journey’s endless bloodstream
Tranquility’s heartland
Tomorrow always waits
Offering one more chance
Tasting now, nature’s fate
Spirit’s refreshing dance
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. (Taken from Maclean’s book, A River Runs Through It.)
The nearest anyone can come to finding himself at any given age is to find a story that somehow tells him about himself.
Norman Maclean (1902-1990) was an American professor at the University of Chicago. Later in his life, he became quite an accomplished author. He spent part of his childhood in Missoula, Montana where his father was a Presbyterian minister.
The photos shown with this poem come from my private collection. They desire to complement each stanza with nature’s voice.
Toes filled with white beach sand
Eastern horizon brightens
Morning’s sunrise glowing
Feeling life’s burdens lighten
Face stings with winter’s cold
Mountain ski run offers thrills
Freshest powder waiting
Energy flowing downhill
Sunset viewed from front porch
Peace adds footnote to this day
Tomorrow always dreams
Thoughts sketching blessed essay
Morning’s wilderness lake
Fisherman’s heart set to cast
Man and nature as one
Sunrise ascends to full mast
Moments with nature’s voice
Thankful for each treasured gift
Every day welcomes home
Spirit no longer adrift
In order to see birds, it is necessary to become a part of the silence.
There is nothing in which the birds differ from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.
Robert Lynd (1879-1949) was an Irish writer, who was best known for his poetry and essays.
Big Sky Buckeye 